Filmmakers

Sowj and Mikel with Rinku Sen, at the Better Together cohort gathering of the Applied Research Center. Charlotte, North Carolina

SOWJANYA KUDVAdirector/producer/dp/editor
Where I grew up, I had little awareness and no access to queer culture, let alone queer activism. I felt constrained by my location and found that my queer identity was not accepted in the place I called home. The work of All of Us aims to reach people who are growing up just like I did. Even though many young queers have the internet at their fingertips and access to queer culture, they are facing an onslaught of legislative attacks to their fundamental civil rights. Our rights as transgender people, queers, immigrants, workers, women, and voters are being stripped with each ballot measure. I strongly believe that the visibility of our stories in the face of atrocity is what builds power in our community. All of Us North Carolina’s inclusive and long term vision of social justice is coming at an essential time in our history, and I want to support their vision with my work.

MIKEL BARTONproducer/dp
As a filmmaker, I am compelled to document the ongoing struggle for equality across lines of gender and sexual identity. I am an ally in the LGBT rights movement. I feel it is my role to help lift up the voices of the powerful leaders in my community and around North Carolina who have long been fighting for justice with poetry, dance, food, and love for everyone. It is an honor to contribute my documentary experience to Sowjanya’s brilliant vision for this project. My other documentary work has dealt with the roots of northern migration, electoral fairness, and the death penalty.

Afiya Carter and Manju Rajendran, co-founders of All of Us North Carolina, speak at the Motorco Music Hall premiere in Durham, NC

MANJU RAJENDRANproducer
Manju is one of the founders of All of Us North Carolina. She is a community organizer, artist, writer, cook and botany nerd. Since age 12, Manju has been doing social justice work, especially with young people, inspired by her mother’s legacy of civic engagement, food justice, education organizing and community-building. She is a member of Southerners On New Ground, Left Turn, Ubuntu, Panderia Bread Uprising Bakery, and Grupo Capoeira Brasil/ Terreiro de Arte e Cultura.

Quote

“All of Us NC moved me deeply and gave me an instructive tool to help social justice activists understand that progress comes in many legitimate forms. Watch it to learn how to squeeze the best results out of attack and loss.”
– Rinku Sen, Executive Director of the Applied Research Center and Publisher of Colorlines.com

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Contact

Sowjanya Kudva
sowj (at) sowjfilms (dot) com

I am a queer, South Asian filmmaker who believes that well-made, self-representative media is key to building powerful queer communities.

I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at sowj (at) sowjfilms (dot) com if you have questions, comments, or you want to bring this film to your community.